Sustainable Prospects, Project Development - Antelope, Spray, Fossil

Last module, the feedback I received on my CRJ noted that I should share more of my working process with my readers. With this in mind, I wanted to provide more information on the practicalities of most recent shooting excursion in Central Oregon. One of the key elements to my work is the act of driving - I spend hours journeying through Oregon to visit remote towns. In doing this, I emulate the act of so many iconic photographers before me - Walker Evens, Robert Frank, Joel Sternfeld, Alec Soth - to name but a few. I am relatively new to America, and I still find the vast, expansive stretches of road alluring. The way in which the landscape changes as I drive east of my home in Portland, and the dramatic shift in culture and the people I encounter motivates my work. Although the act of driving does not make an appearance in my images (I do not photograph gas stations or compose shots through my car window, for example), I do hope to share the act of exploration with my viewer, as I offer them windows into these unseen places. Driving 100mi to 300mi to reach my destinations, I usually camp out in the area. I have a trusty car which I converted by hand into a camper. I has a stove, ample storage and a full bed. Second to my camera, my car is my most important piece of equipment. Without it, my work wouldn’t be possible.

The map above shows the route I took across a three day period. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain, I was unable to shoot on the first day in Shaniko. The weather did offer some interesting skies in Antelope on the morning of day two however, when I photographed Richard Harleman with his horses, and the interior of his horse trailer. I’m deciding on the success of these images - I recognize that they are quite different to much of my other work. This could be seen as positive, in that they offer diversity to my series, but I wonder if they might seem out of place alongside other images. They also pose questions about the direction of my work. Initially, I was intrigued by this part of Oregon as it contradicted my preconceived ideas of the West as a place of abundance and strength. However these images align with the ‘Marlboro Man’ image of the west, and I wonder if they are a little clichéd.

I decided to visit the towns of Fossil and Spray on my third day as I hadn’t yet explored these areas. Traveling north through the Ochoco National Forest, I was offered some stunning views of the landscape and reminded just how much of the land is undeveloped. I would like to revisit Spray, pop. 160 in the spring, when they hold their annual rodeo, and hopefully meet some local residents.